Field-carriage for quick-firing guns.



No. 680,585. Patented Aug. I3, 190|.

' K. HAussNEn. l

FIELD CARRIAGE FUR QUICK FIBING GUNS.

(Application med oct. 15, i900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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HELD CARRIAGE FOR (IUICK FIRING GUNS.

(Application med occ. 15, woo.)

(No Model.)

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No. 680,585. Patented Aug. I3, |90l.

K. HAUSSNER. FIELD CARRIAGE FOR (lUlCK FIRING GUNS. 'Application med ocgls, 1900.)I (No Modell.) 3 sheets-sheet 3.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT @Trice KONRAD HAUSSNER, OF EISENACH, GERMANY.

FIELD-CARRIAGE FOR QUICK-FIRING GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part O' Letters Patent No. 680,585, dated. .August 13, 1901.

Application led October l5, 1900. Serial No. 33,04%I (No model.)

, Weimar, residing'at Eisenach, in the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar and German Empire,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Field-Carriages for Quick-Firing Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a field-carriage for quick-firing guns provided with a spade attachment for checking the recoil.

The principal purpose of the invention is to minimize or entirely suppress the so-called bucking or-jumping upward of the gun when fired.

The subjectmatter of the invention is shown in the annexed drawings, wherein- Figures l and 2 illustrate, diagrammatically, the eect of the bucking action and the resolution of forces which causes the bucking. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a gun-carriage with the gun-trail extended in position for firing. Fig. 4 is a like View with the extension-piece of the gun-trail folded back in position for traveling. Fig. 5 is a top plan of a gun-carriage with the gun-trail extended in position for iring and the extension-piece folding toward the left. Fig. 6 is a like View with the extension-piece of the guntrail folded back in position for traveling, the extension-piece folding toward the left. Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevations of a gun-carriage with a modied form of trail, Fig. 7 showing the trail extended and Fig. 8 with the extension-piece folded under. Figs. 9 and 10 are side elevations of a modified form of guntrail, the former showing the trail in its extended position and the latter in its folded position.

The principal advantage of the gun-carriagev for quick-firing field-guns' described hereinafter lies inthe fact that the so-called bucking of the gun when fired is reduced or entirely suppressed. The following remarks will serve to explain this.

In order to facilitate rapidity of firing in modern quick-firing field-guns, it is requisite that there should be little or no recoil, and this end is obtained by means of a spade attachment penetrating` into the ground; but the consequence of this arrangement is that the gun bucks -that is to say, it jumps up-l wardso as to describe a short arc on the spade as a fulcrum, the recoil z of the gun itself being resolved into one component m, passing through the spade, and another component y, directed upward. (See Fig. l.) This latter component in the case of modern field-guns is so great that the gun when fired fact that thereby the mobility of the gunwhen limbered up and traveling would be impaired and the difficulty of giving great elevation to the guns would be enhanced. l therefore conceived the idea of an extensible gun-trail, which in a folded or collapsed state would afford sufficient mobility, while when unlimbered and extended its length would reduce bucking to a minimum, and thus afford the possibility of very rapid firing without any need of tedious relaying of the gun. If with such an arrangement the extensionpiece of the gun-trail is provided, as well as the fixed part of the trail, with a pintle-eye, it will be possible to limber up, if desired, with the extended gun-trail and travel with the gun in this state, which may frequently be an advantage in View of the great desirability of speediest mobility of the gun.

A further advantage afforded by this invention is the possibility of giving a high elevation to the gun when unlimbered with the trail in the collapsed or shortened state.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a form of the invention in which a tubular gun-trail is adopted, Fig. 3 showing the extended gun-trail in the position for firing, while Fig. 4C shows the guntrail with the extension-piece folded back in the position for traveling. The extensionpiece of the gun-trail b pivots on a pin-bolt e. In order to fix the extension-piece rigidly in the extended position, a vbolt e2 is thrust through the flanges h, arranged on the rear IOO end of the front part ct' of the gun-trail, and flanges h', arranged on the anterior end of the rear part or extension-pieceot` the guntrail. The lllanges 7L h are arranged on both sides at such distance from each other as to leave sufficient room for the pintle-eye 19 of the gun trail (in the shortened or folded state) to pass through between them. In order to be able to travel also, if desired, with the gun-trail in the extended state, a second pintle-eye p is provided on the extension or rear piece.

In the gun-carriage as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the trail is likewise a tubular one, but the rear part or extension-piece b2 folds over toward the left. In this instance also, as in Figs. 3 and 4, the flanges h2 h3 are placed at a sufficient distance from each other to leave room for the pintle-eye p on the front part of the trail to pass freely between the flanges. In order to be able to travel with the guntrail in the extended state, a second pintleeye p is provided on the extension-piece b2. In this arrangement also the pin or bolt e forms the hinge-pin on which the extensionpiece b2 pivots, while bolt e2 serves for fixing it in position, being thrust through holes f2 in the flanges and holes f3 in flanges h3.

In Figs. 7 and S the gun-trail a3 b3 consists of brackets or cheeks. The rear part or extension-piece b3 folds underneath the front part d3 on a hinge-pin or pivot-bolt i, as shown in Fig. 8. The extension-piece b3 is iixed in the extended position by means of the removable bolt k. In order to be able to travel with the trail in the extended position, a second pintle-eye p is provided on the extension-piece b3.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a gun-carriage with trail likewise constructed with cheeks or brackets, but with an extensionpiece folding over upon the front part of the trail. The two sets of flanges h4 h5 on the adjoining ends of the two parts of the gun-trail d4 b4 are placed at such distance from each other as to permit the gun-trail cheeks to project through between them. In order to be able to drive the gun withthe trail either in the extended or in the shortened position, two pintle-eyes p p2 are provided. The extension-piece b4 is again rigidly fixed in the extended position by means of the removable bolt 7c', the extension-piece being pivoted on the hingebolts 7l' on the rear end of the front part a4 of the gun-trail.

' The various forms of' execution of the invention forming the subject-matter of this application, as described above, are arranged so as to enable the gun to travel with the trail' either in the extended or in the shortened state. This is an essential feature of the invention and exceedingly expedient, because it may happenin the course of an action that there may be no time to spare for folding up or shortening the gun-trail before limbering up. Consequently styles of execution provided with an alternate pintle eye are of greater practical value than those which have one single pintle-eye only. The present invention, therefore, diers from other systems of gun-carriages which have extensible trails, such as hitherto known, inasmuch as in these a short extension or rear piece was only attached to the gun-trail for the purpose of fa-V cilitat-ing the fire with various elevations. Such constructions had solely been devised with a view to creating mountain gun-carriages capable of being carried by beasts of burden, but not with a view to preventing the bucking of quick-firing field-guns, nor does this invention apply to Maxim guns, which are not liable to bucking, but in case of which, on the contrary, the direction of the gun is varied during the act of firing for the purpose of dispersing the projectiles, nor has the subject-matter of the present invention any connection with those arrangements in which the body of the gun carriage or trail consists of two elastic tubes acting as elastic buffers, so as to weaken the recoil on firing.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. The combination with a gun-carriage, of a complete trail therefor having a pintle-eye whereby it may be limbered, an extensionpiece suitably connected to said trail and provided with a pintle-eye whereby the carriage with the extended trail may also be limbered, means connected to the trail and extensionpiece to permit of the folding of the latter, and means for securing the extension-piece rigidly to the trail whereby the upward element or component of the recoil during tiring is reduced.

2. The combination with agun-carriage, of a complete trail therefor having a pintle-eye whereby it may be limbered, an extensionpieoe hinged to said trail and provided with a pintle-eye whereby the carriage with the extended trail may also be limbered, andlneans for securing the extension-piece rigidly to the trail whereby the upward element or component of the recoil during firing is reduced.

y In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

KONRAD I-IAUSSNER.

WVitnesses:

WILHELM BINDEWALD, CARL KIND.

IOC

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